Quiet- Susan Cain

A book about quiet people – I never thought that’d be interesting! You’ll be wondering if it has much to say about people who don’t say much. Well, it has a lot to say…

Are you that quiet guy in your group of friends? The person who silently listens and observes. The individual who regularly needs to recharge away from the crowd. Someone who has great ideas but doesn’t always articulate them. If this is you, read this book, and if not you will know someone who is – over 1/3rd of the world are introverts – so just read it anyway!

Now about the content. Firstly, it digs into our society’s ideas about extroversion and how it is preferred and often made to be required. Cain reveals the subtle ways our schools, workplaces, and media have been changed to think of extroverts as being superior when in fact this is false. With brilliant research, she reveals how the evolution of this mindset came to happen in recent years and how to address it.

Cain acknowledges the advantages of both extroversion and introversion; however, she communicates the need for introverts to be recognised more as they have different preferences which have been overlooked in recent years. Both sorts of people bring unique qualities to the table in any work or social gathering, but extroverts are often the
only ones to be heard. Cain outlines how her principles can be applied in schools and workplaces, but also in relationships, friendships and parenting; these attitudes towards introversion affect us in more ways than we could ever imagine.

This challenged me into thinking about myself and my peers, and how we interact in certain situations. Do I allow everyone to be heard and share ideas in a group setting? Am I accommodating to all personality types represented? Perhaps I should listen more… Reading this challenging book provoked many questions such as these.

Reflecting upon it, I am reminded that we are all different, but not always treated the same. This needs to change. Quiet or loud, both have something to contribute. Both should be heard. So let the small voice talk and just listen.

The Shining- Stephen King

Initially, I was reluctant to read this book. Me being a teen I usually refuse to read much pre-2000s, yet here was a book is written in 1977. In addition, the title sounded more like a happy, cheery book about sunshine; how wrong was I…

Upon reading you can discover the hardships of the Torrance family (the protagonists of the book). A father struggling with alcoholism, a mother full of anxieties, and a son with supernatural powers, all living in a snowbound hotel for the winter. They think everything is well, however, as we discover throughout the book, they aren’t alone and the breakdown of the group begins.

With evil spirits roaming the building and feasting on the family, all hell breaks loose. Repeatedly this idea of how the inhuman place makes a human monster, showing us a depth to the setting. Although there are many supernatural elements to the book Stephen King cleverly portrays the real terror which is having a loved one become the monster you fear the most. With incredible detail, we discover the destruction of the father, and more and more goes wrong. Every page kept me on edge.

This thriller has everything you’d ever want – the depth of character, great dialogue, and iconic moments. ‘The Shining’ earned all the praise it received and I can see why it’s a classic. I guess now I am open to reading a few more books predating my lifetime!

In addition to the book, there is also a screen adaptation by Stanley Kubrick. This is probably one of the most well-known horror movies and inspires many directors today. However, the film differs quite a bit from the book and Stephen King himself disowned the movie. Personally, I liked both, although you could definitely argue a case for the book due to the better detail and character arc in the writing.

I’d recommend reading and watching both to see the similarities and differences; they’re both classics. Oh yeah and the shining is referring to the superpower Danny the son has, it’s not a weird sunshine world… enjoy!

Tricky- Michael Dormandy and Carl Laferton

When you were younger did you ever get annoyed at your parents? Ever felt that they made stupid rules? Ever thought they spoilt your fun? Well I can tell you I felt this at times. Being told I have to go to bed early, not being able to watch TV, and having to do homework are but a few of these examples. Faith is similar to that feeling; it can seem hard to understand, challenging, and even a hindrance.

I believe those from both faith and non-faith backgrounds can easily read this book and learn something. It contains 9 short, concise chapters, each of which answers some of the toughest questions of the Christian faith. Issues like Science and Religion, Homosexuality and the life of Jesus are all answered in a comforting, conversational style, making it very accessible. All of the author’s answers included examples and were backed up with references to the Bible making it a great source of wisdom. I began to understand and recognise solutions to many of the hard questions of Christianity and the tricky questions didn’t seem all that tricky anymore. The book also made me think more about the reasoning behind the annoying rules I was once given…

…I recognised all the hard to hear rules came from a place of love and with best intentions, and following these seemingly silly rules actually were the best and most helpful thing for me to do despite me not recognising it. My parents knew more about the world than me, they knew what was best for me and they did everything with good intent (even if at the time I didn’t think so). This book was a testament to how God’s love is the same- he knows us more than we know ourselves, he loves us more than anyone, and just wants the best for us. So through reading, I realised that although there are lots of tricky questions to be had about faith we mustn’t worry as God is in control and as the creator, he knows the best for us however hard it may be for us to hear. Understanding this is living for God and living life the way it was intended.

Overall the book was great. A quick read that really made me think. Why not try it out yourself and who knows, some of your trickiest questions about faith could be answered.